JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith will honour fellow Iowa native Michael Annett with a particular tribute throughout this weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway.
The tribute celebrates Annett’s legacy with JR Motorsports, the place he competed for 5 seasons between 2017 and 2021. The Iowa native handed away on December 2, 2025, on the age of 39, though the reason for his dying was not publicly revealed.
Throughout his time with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s workforce, Annett claimed victory within the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Collection season opener at Daytona and recorded three ninth-place championship finishes.
Forward of the race weekend, JR Motorsports unveiled Smith’s tribute livery on social media. The design is impressed by Annett’s 2017 Pilot Flying J paint scheme and options his signature shamrock, which turned synonymous along with his profession.
Pilot Flying J was a long-time supporter of Annett all through his profession and performed a key function within the tribute. Smith described the gesture as “very particular”, including that he was grateful the sponsor had allowed him to run the commemorative design at his residence race.
